Cutoff machine



1949. A. B. EAsTwoob ,0

CUTOFF MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan; 15. 1944 IN VEN TOR.

ABRAHAM fiEHsTwooD ATTORNEY A. B. EAs'rwooD CUTOFF MACHINE Jan. 11,1949.

Original Filed Jan. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR. RBRAHAM B. EAsTwooO BY v HTTORNEY Jan. 11, 1949. A. B.EASTWOOD 2,459,068

I I CUTOFF MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3KIIHNIIIHI IN VEN TOR.

A BRA H A m BEAsTwooo ATTORNEY A. B- EASTWOOD Jan. 11, 1949.

CUTOFF 1111 1111111 4 Sheets-Sheet -4 Original Filed Jan. 15, 1944INVENTOR. ABRBHHM B. EASTWOOD ATTORNL'Y Patented Jan. 11, 1949 I I Y VUNITED STATES eni ma ostrich :OUTOFF MACHINE,

Abraham B. Eastwood, Abington,-Pa.,==assignor-to j'i he :TahorManufacturing company, (Philadelphia, Pa a corporation of PennsylvaniaContinuation of application Serial No. 518,362,

January 15, 1944. This application April '2, 1947, Serial No.' '738,891

, t 7 Claims. (Cl..51238) .This invention relates generally toimprovesnpportingvmecharlism; as constructed in accordmentsgincut-ofimachines and more particularly ance with l and embodying the principles".of :the

to an improved constructionof a combination present invention, thesamebeingzshown-ioperasteadyrest and support-forthe-work beingopertivelyrassociatedwith:the rotating work;

ated upon in the cut-off machine, this applica- ."Figurei lnzis..a view.similartmFigure 1 showing tionbeinga continuation of-my pending applithemechanism,initszinitiallyadjusted condition cation, Serial No.518,362,.fi1ed January 15, 1944, DYiOI'ii'tOiil'lSfil'fiDIl10fithetwokithliein now abandoned. Eigure'llrB is azviewnlsosimilar to;1ligure-1,-but Among the general objects of the-present inshowing the mechanism,initially :adjusted to vention are to provide a self-centering deviceri zaccommodateavork ofgsmallertdiameter than that adapted to revolublysupport the freely extending shown'z-injFigure 21; i

rotating portion of a bar of generally circular FigureTZrisaside:elevationallviewthereof; cross section; to provide a device whichis adapted :Eieure I,3;isan:-iend;elevational View of asometo steady'theportion of the bar which projects l'what v:nrodified construction or-tthe mechanism.

from the spindle head of the machine, :the de- 5i?:Eigure-Ads'adiagrammaticiviewillustrative of vice being operative to sofirmly support the ,the-.app1ication.-ofthemechanismofthe-present Workduring rotation thereof as topermit it to iinvcntion; aand g 7 becleanlyservered by the cutting tool; and to al fiiguresfi =an'd\6:ar,eviews-similar to Figure 1 provide a mechanism which is self-centeringgshowing ,theimechanism;indifferentself-adjusted with respect to theaxis of the work being :op-

positionsrwithmespect to lworkrrotatingleccentrierated upon and which isadapted for ready :Cfillj about thespindleaxis.ctthemachine.with

application to'bars varying in diameter withinlwhichlthe-mechanism;is-assQ-ciated.

the-limits of the capacity of the mechanism. lReferringnowtothedrawingsand more par- In addition to-the foregoing general objectsI -ticularlytoIFiguresJLandEZ, it :will beobserved of the presentinvention, a most important'ob .25 ithat-inzitsillustratedapplicationthe mechanism ,ject is to provide-a work-supportingsteadyrest\of-,;thepresent invention is designedto operate as which isself-compensating, :when adjusted opa.,steady rest-and holder or supportfor the freely eratively with respect to a particular bar to beextending portion of the work v being operated supported, to adequatelyengagethe bar at a zupon- Inltheparticular arrangement'illustrated,plurality of circumferentially :spaced points, :30 the workisintheformofabara of generally thereby providing a firm support for any position,circular, :cross; section,lthisrbar being rotated by of revolution of,the work about its .axis. Thus, .a suitablemeans,.notshown, suchasthespindle even if the barto besupportedis nottrulycircu- -shaft ofialathe, .while l-atcutt'er 1b of abrasive -.lar or if the portion thereofembraced within the {materialis ,rotatedlatitheend of .a .pivotal arm,

.support'be-out of axial alinementwith the spindle :3 5 not shown, whichenables .theocuttertobe moved axis of .the machine, such as a lathe,upon-which -.crosswise .;or transversely of the bar. In this the bar is:mounted for effecting the desired type-,dfw ac renfl 15 W .H Y thoseworking operation thereon, the support, oil-theskilleddntheuart,.the,cutterfbcuts Ofi apiece at present invention isstill operableito adequately the free end of ztheuba whi 0111; f D16 ma:and securely engage the work to support and 4 0 bercompa 'a t vely h.t,-m.t1f1 e nature of a time,

steady the same without causing any binding :oi Q HPMQUWQW q g the workas it rotates within the seli-compen- B Q j ppqrtlng the fr ly' eatingsteady rest of theapresent invention. r-tendingportionofthe rotating bara includes a Other objectsand advantages of the :present m ty 0f 12110115 l, I2 d r sp tiv ly invention will appear more fully:herein-aften'it 145 spaced substantially r120 circulardegrees-apart,

:being'understood that the-present invention contheserollsrbeing ar i nedfltolcontact thep 'sists substantially in the combination,.nconstruc-:su fifi fib o aryin di meters-within 'tion, location andgeneralarrangementofzparts, theacapacityofnthe operatingmachine. Included allas described in detail hereinafter, :as shownin tinlthefmechanismrareapairof-belllcranklevers the accompanying drawings and as finally ,50Altar-1&5, theiever lzbeingrprovided vvithapair of pointed out in theappended claims. Inthe ac- :angularly relatedearmsdolandrlbgwhilethelever companying drawinga which illustrate-the applie5ris providedwith asimilarpair,oflangularlyrre- 'cation of the present invention to:a cut+,off latedrarmsfia andUEib-andWWithanadditionzil arm :machine,Figure '1 is an end elevational ,view Ec-extend-ing oppositely-10f;the:-arm 5a. .Rotatably 'shOWing thecombination\steadyrestzand work,;.iournallediupon thezouter ends-oi the arms 4a and a are the guiderolls 1 and 2, respectively.

The free ends of the arms 4b and 5c are interconnected by a link 6, thecoupling between the arm 50 and the link 6 being by way of a pin andslot connection, as shown, to permit of some play between these coupledelements. A tension spring I interposed between the pin on the arm 50and a second pin on the link 6 tends to take up the play in the pin andslot connection, while maintaining the guide roll I in resilientengagement with the surface of the rotating bar a.

A hand-lever 8, pivotally secured as at 8a to the relatively fixedsupport 9 of the mechanism, is provided with oppositely extending arms8b and 8c, the guide roll 3 aforesaid being rotatably journalled uponthe free end of the arm 81). A link 6a, similar to the link 6, extendsbetween the arm 57) of the lever 5 and the arm 8c of the lever B, thecoupling between the lever 5 and the link 6a being also by way of a pinand slot connection to afford some play therebetween which is normallytaken up by a tension spring 1a interposed between the pin on the arm51) and a second pin onthe link 6a, this spring la serving to maintainthe guide roll 2 in resilient engagement with the surface of therotating bar a.

A stem ID is slidably supported in a rocker bearing 1 I carried bythe'support 9, this stem 10 being fitted with nuts or collars Ill and l0spaced to either side of the rocker bearing ll. Coiled compressionsprings I 2 andl3 are respectively interposed between the bearing II andeach of the nuts or collars Ill and I0", these springs being balancedagainst eachother to normally maintain the stem It in axially fixedrelation with respect to the bearing H. The upper portion of the rod l0slidably projects through a rocker fitting l4 suitably mounted 'on-thearm 8 of the hand-lever 8, a set screw [5 being provided for locking thestem NJ in axially adjusted position relatively to the fitting M, itbeing understood that the lower bearing l I and the upper fitting l4through which the stem l9 commonly projects are respectivelyoscillatable about their axes to compensate for variations in theangular relation between the lever B and the stem 10 resulting fromaxial adjustment of thest-em relatively to the hand lever.

The support 9 for the several interlinked members above described isadjustable lengthwise of the rails or ways It and ll of the machine bed,the rail l6 being preferablyjof rectangular crosssection and the rail Hof hexagonal cross-section to insure rectilinear sliding motion of thesupport as'it is positionally adjusted toward or away from the spindlehead of the machine.

In operation of the mechanism of the present invention, the mechanism isinitially set to accommodate a bar a of given diameter whereupon thesupport 9 is positionally adjusted on the machine Ways to a pointconvenient for adequate support of the bar, the handle lever 11 beingthen depressed about its pivot 8 to effect, radial separation oftheguide rolls I, 2 and 3. In this connection, it will be observed thatas the lever 8 is depressed to radially raise the guide roll 3, thelinkli operates on the arm 5 of the bell crank lever 5 to radially shiftoutwardly the guide roll 2, the rotation of the bell crank lever 5operating in turn,

through the link 6, to correspondingly radially handlever 8 results inincreased compression of the upper spring 12 while relaxing thecompression of the lower spring [3, thereby unbalancing these springs.Immediately upon release of the downward pressure on the hand-lever 8,the springs 12 and [3 regain their equilibrium, the compressive effortof the spring [2 causing the lever B to assume its original position asshown in full line in Figures 1A and 1B. In order to initially adjustthe mechanism to a particular bar of given diameter, the hand-lever 8 isadjusted axially of the stem It to present all three guide rolls inresilient contact with the bar. To this end the initial adjustment issuch that the guide rolls normally assume a position in which theyrespectively intersect the circumference of a circle having a diameterequal to that of the bar to be supported between the rolls, the stem Illand the lever 8 being then looked together in their adjusted relation bymeans of the set screw [5. In Figures 1A and 1B the dotted circle 0represents the circumference of the bar which is to be supported by themechanism.

Figure 1A shows the mechanism in its initially adjusted position for abar of a diameter equal to that of the dotted line circle, while Figure1 shows the mechanism in operative engagement with such bar. Figure 1Bshows the mechanism initially adjusted for a bar of considerably smallerdiameter, it being understood, of course, that in its initially adjustedpositions of the mechanism as shown in full line in Figures 1A and 1B,the springs 12 and 43 are in equilibrium while the levers 4 and 5 aredrawn to the limits of their pin and slot connections under theinfluence of the tension springs I and l When the bar is insertedbetween the guide rolls of the adjusted mechanism, each roll is under abias which maintains it in resilient engagement with the surface of thebar.

With the bar a thus resiliently supported between the guide rolls of thesteady rest, the Work to be performed on the bar may be proceeded with,such as cutting off discs from the supported end of the bar by means ofthe cut-off tool b. It is frequently the case that the bar a is sodefiected that its axis of rotation is eccentric to that of the machinespindle, this resulting in such wobbling of the bar as to cause it toshift eccentrically with respect to the common center of the guide rollsI, 2 and 3. Where the guide rolls are held in fixed relation against anypossibility of shifting radially outwardly, the lateral thrust of thewobbling bar against one or the other of the guide rolls necessarilyresults in a binding action which interferes with free rotation of thework within the steady rest. The same undesirable result occurs wherethe bar rotates concentrically about the spindle axis of the machine butis so deformed in the surface as to periodically present a low or highspot against one or the other of the guide rolls.

The steady rest mechanism of the present invention overcomes thisdifliculty by virtue of the fact that the several guide rolls are soresiliently linked together that lateral thrust of the work outwardlyagainst one or the other of the guide rolls does not result in bindingof the roll against the rotating work. This is best illustrated inFigures 5 and 6 which respectively show two different eccentricpositions of the bar a with respect to its normal position shown inFigure l, the normal position being represented in said Figures 5 and 6by the large circular dotted line It will be understood that in thisnormal position,

e ric es the several guide rolls I 2 and' 3 'aremain-tained irfresilientengagement with the surface a of the baroby reason of the fact that thelever 8 is under the biasing influence of the :u pempnng E2, the initialadjustmentofthe mechanism in relation to the bar tobe supported-beingsuch as to-provide-the spring 2 with agreatercompressive effort than thelower spring 4 3. Thus; the mechanism,'while supporting the work, isconstantly'under'the bias of the spring 12." fReferringto Figure 5,Which-shows the*work downwardly offset fromits accurately centerednormal position, it will be observed thatthe'guide roll 3 is resilientlyurged downwardly against theupper surface of the laterally offset bar'a,this being 'effected'bythe upward th'rustof the spring I 2 upon the stemill'and consequently upon the arm 8 of the hand-lever. Thisupward-thrust of the'hand-lever-arm-li raises the link 6 with the resultthat said link, through theintervention of the-tension spring lflrotatesthe bell crank lever'5 in clockwisedirection-to resilientlypress itsguide roll 2 in surface contact with the bar a, the guide roll. I beingsimilarly resiliently pressed againstthe bar by the bell crank-leveril.acting:inpionethe linkji through the intervention of thetensionzspring 'l.

As the bar a revolves .eccentrically about the spindle axis, a conditionarises asshown in Figure 6 wherein the bar is upwardly offset from "thenormal dotted line position, in which case {the high spotof-thebarflacts on the guide-r0113 "to cam it radially-outward into-itsposition as shown, in :which position the upper spring -i2 is subjectedto increased-compression while the r lower spring I3 is further:relaxed. This camming-action-of the-bar aupon-the guide "roll 3 exertsa downward thrust upon the link li which would tend torotate the bellcrank lever-in counterclock-wisedirection were it not for the pin and{slot connection therebetween and the interven- '=tion of the tensionspring lwhich latter exerts a c1ockwise;.pu1l upon: the;bell crank leverto maintain the guide roll 2 in resilient engagement with the bar. Thisclockwise pull-of the bell cranklever-fi, throughthe*intervention of thetension spring I, exerts a corresponding pull upon the bell crank lever4 to maintain the guide roll l in resilient engagement with the bar.

Thus, in all positions of rotation of the bar a, either concentric oreccentric with respect to the spindle axis of the machine, the bar isresiliently engaged and supported by all three guide rolls l, 2 and 3without any of them so binding the bar as to interfere with its freerotation. Further, it will be observed that each guide roll, being inresilient engagement with the supported bar, is radially adjustableunder the influence of its biasing spring so that it may adapt itself tovariations in the surface contour of the rotating bar, each guide rollbeing adjustable independently of the others to insure constantresilient engagement of all of the rollers with the surface of the barsupported therebetween.

The construction and mode of operation of the modification illustratedin Figure 3 are as above described except as follows. The hand-lever 8erminates at its pivot point and the guide roller 3 is omitted. Thestructure of the modification shown in Figure 3 is employed in caseswhere a comparatively long piece is to be cut from the end of the bar aand it is used to support that long end in conjunction with the deviceshown in Figures 1 and 2. I

While the mechanism of the present invention iii variations.

has -been shown :and :described for purposes ef illustration as appliedto 1 a =so-ca1le'd cut-off machine, it -will beuri'derstood; of course,that-the mechanism is generallyapplicablefor use in connection' withotheritypes of machines in which the work to be operatedupon extendsfreely of the-rotating worksupporting head ofthe machine and (where it=is desired to -provide a firm support for the freely extendin porti0hoi? the rotating work. "Also, -itwill: be: understood that themechanism- 0f thei present invention issusceptible of various changesandmiodifications which may be madefromtime :1 to time without departingfrom the 'g eneral' principles and-real spirit of the invention and itis, accordinglyflntended to claim thesame broadly aswwell asspecifically, as indic-ated in'the appended'claims.

What'i-s claimed as new and useful is:

' l Amechanism=forrev0lubly supporting cyliirdrie'al barstock to besevered bya cut-off machine :"comprisin-g, inacombination, a supportingstrueture for said mechanism, a plurality of levers pivotally mountedupon said supporting structure each *having a freely extending armterminating in: a guide roll, said guide rolls being circumferentiallyspace'd -abouta common circle,

means interconnecting said levers for effecting common actuation thereofwhereby to correspondingly adjust saidgguide rolls relatively to thecenterof said circle-andresilientmeans operatively 'ass'ociated withsaid lever-interconnecting means toprofvide forindependent positionaladiust'rnentfofjsaid guide 'rolls to compensate for fthesurfacecontourr-of'the bar stock revolubly"supported betweenisaid guide rolls.

' ".2. mechanism for revolubly supporting cyvlinliri cal b arstockcomprising, in combination,

a, supporting structure f01 said mechanism, a

plurality :of levers pivotally mounted upon said supporting structure,each having a freely extending arm"terminating in a revoluble guideroll, said'g uide rolls being spaced circumferen- ,tially. about a,corhmonicircle, means interconjnecting "said levers "for effectingcorresponding adjustment of said guide rolls relatively to the center ofsaid circle, one of said levers including a hand-actuatable extension,and biasing means operative upon said extension to maintain saidinterconnected levers in position with their revoluble guide rolls inresilient engagement with the bar stock revolubly supportedtherebetween.

3. A mechanism for revolubly supporting cylindrical bar stockcomprising, in combination a supporting structure for said mechanism, aplurality of levers pivotally mounted upon said supporting structure,each having a freely extending arm terminating in a revoluble guideroll, said guide rolls being spaced circumferentially about a commoncircle, means interconnecting said levers for effecting correspondingadjustment of said guide rolls relatively to the center of said circle,one of said levers including a hand-actuatable extension, and aspring-pressed stem operatively connected to said extension of thehand-actuatable lever, said stem being effective to bias said leversinto positions presenting said guide rolls in resilient engagement withthe bar stock revolubly supported therebetween.

4. A mechanism for revolubly supporting cylindricalbar stock comprising,in combination a supporting structure for said mechanism, a plurality oflevers pivotally mounted upon said supporting structure, each having afreely extending arm terminating in a revoluble guide roll,

said guide rolls being spaced circumferentially about a common circle,means interconnecting said levers for effecting corresponding adjustmentof said guide rolls relatively to the center of said circle, one of saidlevers including a handactuatable extension, a spring-pressed stemoperatively connected to said extension of the handactuatable lever,said stem being effective to bias said levers into positions presentingsaid guide rolls in resilient engagement with the bar stock revolublysupported therebetween, and means for axially adjusting said stemrelatively to said extension of the hand-actuated lever.

5. A mechanism for revolubly supporting cylindrical bar stockcomprising, incombination, a supporting structure for said mechanism, aplurality of levers pivotally mounted upon said supporting structure,each having a freely extending arm terminating in a revoluble guideroll, said guide rolls being spaced circumferentially about a commoncircle, means interconnecting said levers for effecting corresponding,adjustment of said circle, one of said levers including ahand-actuatable extension, an axially shlftable stem operativelyconnected to said extension of the hand-actuatable lever, and a pair ofopposed compression springs operative upon said stem to resist axialmovement thereof in either direction,

6. A mechanism for revolubly supporting cylindrical bar stockcomprising, in combination, a supporting structure for said mechanism, aplurality of interconnected levers pivotally mounted upon saidsupporting structure, each having a freely extending arm terminating ina revoluble guide roll, an axially shiftable stem operatively connectedto one of said levers, and a pair of opposed compression springsoperative upon said stem to resist axial movement thereof in eitherdirection, said springs being in substantial equilibrium when saidmechanism is free of any stock to be supported thereby and beingunbalanced when stock is embraced by said mechanism to impart a biasupon said stem tending to maintain all of said'guide rolls in resilientcontact with the surface of therevolving stock.

7. A mechanism for revolubly supporting cylindrical bar stockcomprising, in combination, a supporting structure for said mechanism, aplurality of interconnected levers pivotally mounted upon saidsupporting structure, each having a freely extending arm terminating ina revoluble guide roll, an axially shiftable stem operatively connectedto one of said levers, a pair of opposed compression springs operativeupon said stem to resist axial movement thereof in either direction,said springs being in substantial equilibrium when said mechanism isfree of any stock to be supported thereby and being unbalanced whenstock is embraced by said mechanism to impart a bias upon said stemtending to maintain all of said guide rolls in resilient contact withthe surface of the revolving stock, and tension springs interposedbetween each pair of said interconnected levers for permittingindependent adjustment of said guide rolls relatively to the surface ofthe revolvin stock to compensate for variations in the surface contourthereof.

ABRAHAM B. EASTWOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 879,214 Thacker Feb. 18, 19081,036,206 Ferrier Aug. 20, 1912 1,172,883 Gammeter Feb. 22, 19161,182,478 Hanson May 9, 1916 1,311,578 Stilson July 29, 1919 1,370,705Norton Mar. 8, 1921 1,393,046 Singer Oct. 11, 1921 2,085,650 GodfreyJune 29, 1937 2,087,304 Sawyer July 20, 1937 2,107,051 Briney Feb. 1,1938 2,141,596 Crompton Dec. 27, 1938 2,201,173 Hanitz May 21, 1940FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 143,655 Great Britain June 3, 1920

